Helpful UX Content

UX content can help customers, clients and other users become more familiar and 0:00 comfortable, with the services you provided. 0:05 But once those people have a basic understanding and familiarity, 0:08 you wanna support them and make them feel secure. 0:11 So let's discuss another form of UX content to focus on, helpful UX content. 0:14 When you hear the term helpful UX content, 0:20 one might assume we're talking about the stuff you create for 0:22 a help or support section on a website and that's certainly true. 0:26 When we create helpful UX content, we want to provide support for 0:30 our users, but we can also use it keep users engaged and 0:35 create logical pathways for users to follow. 0:39 So helpful UX content may show up in many areas of your website or app. 0:43 Let's focus on how we create it. 0:48 If you provide products or services with any element of complexity to them, 0:51 you need to provide some level of support. 0:55 And as we've been saying, you've gotta do more than the minimum. 0:58 So listing an email address or providing a vague help form isn't gonna cut it. 1:01 Go the extra mile and anticipate what users need and when they'll need it. 1:06 Providing some logical easy to understand UX content could really help them out. 1:12 One strategy is to create a knowledge base. 1:18 A section of content that provides instructional information for your users. 1:21 This makes sense if you have a product that requires specific knowledge 1:26 to use it. 1:30 Or if you offer advanced features that could be explained through things like 1:30 step by step instructions, downloadable guides, or walk through videos. 1:35 For example, Basecamp has it's own knowledge base, 1:40 offering detailed information about how to manage permissions for projects. 1:43 Or how to upgrade your workspace from version 2 to 3. 1:48 Ultimately, you wanna ensure users will be able successfully use whatever 1:53 you've created for them. 1:57 Making the overall experience feel more supportive and reliable for your user. 1:59 Have you ever bought something or tried to use an online platform, 2:05 only to get to some point where you give up? 2:10 Maybe you can't figure out how it works, or 2:12 you get overwhelmed by all its many features, details. 2:15 In many cases, users may abandon a product altogether, or 2:19 another goal of this helpful UX content is to keep users engaged. 2:23 The idea is that if you can help users better understand your offerings and 2:28 educate and support them through various issues, those users will stay motivated. 2:33 They'll want to keep using whatever you've created. 2:39 Emma's support pages were created to help explain to customers how their email 2:42 service works and what things mean, like specific email response analytics. 2:47 But they don't just provide definitions, 2:53 they write the content in an approachable, easy to understand way. 2:56 An important point here is that if you can speak your user's language, 3:01 they'll understand and appreciate the content. 3:05 That means writing in a style that's clear and familiar to them. 3:08 Using terms and even a personality that resonates with them. 3:12 And it's even more helpful when you focus on details that are personally 3:16 important to them. 3:19 If you understand who your users are and what they are trying to accomplish, 3:20 then you'll know which features they need help understanding. 3:24 How to convey information to them and 3:28 what UX content you need to create to support their goals. 3:31 One more goal we mentioned for 3:35 helpful UX content was to create logical pathways for our users. 3:37 No matter what kind of website or app you build, 3:41 you'll want your users to take certain actions. 3:44 And sometimes, it'll make sense for them to follow a path or 3:47 a specific order of actions. 3:51 In UX circles, this might also be known as the user flow. 3:52 Like if someone searches for a game in the PlayStation Store, it makes sense for 3:57 Sony to provide a path to purchase that game once the user finds it. 4:02 In this case, the user interface will draw attention to that path with a big button. 4:06 But a great example of this helpful UX content is the website for 4:12 the Apple trade-in program. 4:16 If a customer is considering trading in their laptop or iPhone, 4:18 Apple will walk them through a series of questions that determines which device 4:21 they've got and it's current condition. 4:26 Each step is simple and friendly and includes short messages, 4:28 with easy choices and a progress bar at the top. 4:33 They also include little, what does this mean links, with short, 4:36 simple explanations. 4:41 And by the end, Apple has all the info they need to provide an estimate. 4:42 Which is what the user wanted, but 4:46 they also give the user more logical paths related to this. 4:49 Like actually going forward with the trad-in so the user can get their money. 4:53 In the end, helpful UX content does more than just provide help. 4:59 It moves your users further down important pathways, removing barriers and 5:03 making the choice to take action much easier and much more attractive. 5:08 When you've got a potential customer ready to trade-in hardware, 5:14 there's a big difference between Apple providing the address of the nearest 5:18 Apple Store, and forcing the customer to physically go there, or 5:23 getting users one click away from competing the actual process. 5:27 So, how can you use this content to help your users? 5:31 Identify those paths. 5:37 Where do users arrive on your site and where do they go? 5:39 What features do they use, or what content do they look for? 5:43 Using helpful UX content, you could guide them closer to a purchase or 5:46 expand their knowledge. 5:51 But regardless of their action, your helpful content could build trust and 5:53 faith in your website or app. 5:57 If you can anticipate your users' needs and what they are trying to do, 5:59 your UX content will be perfectly helpful and effective. 6:04